749. Om mrtyu-daru-kutharikayai namah: I bow down to Amma who is the axe that cuts down the tree of death.
Amma recounts the famous story of Nachiketa and death: (from: http://www.amritapuri.org/4805/death-hours.aum)
"The basic story of the Upanishad is that Nachiketha’s father is performing a sacrifice that requires him to give away all of his possessions. However, he is only giving away useless things – like old, sick and dry cows. Observing this improper action, Nachiketha, an intelligent boy, understands that his father is incurring sin instead of merit by such false charity. He pesters his father with the question, “To whom shall you give me?” To which his father replies at last, in anger, “I give you to death!” Being a good and obedient son, Nachiketha soon starts on his journey.
However, upon his arrival at the home of death, he finds that the Lord of Death -Yama – is not there. Naciketa waits for three days and nights without food or sleep. When Yama finally returns, he makes amends by offering Nachiketha three boons. Nachiketha’s first asks for appeasement of the anger of his father, then for the secret of attaining heaven and finally the ultimate question: “What happens after death? Is there a soul surviving death, or is it total annihilation?” After testing the quality of the disciple, Yama finally imparts the great teaching to him.
Sitting under the tree, Her children huddled around Her; Amma said that it was the compassionate heart of Nachiketha that made him a fit recipient of the ultimate knowledge. Amma said that when he challenged his father, he was doing so out of compassion. Nachiketha did not want his father to receive the negative karmic repercussions of giving things of no value in charity. In fact, a dried-up cow is only a burden for a poor man who receives it, as he has to feed the cow also in addition to his family.
Thus, the sacrifice, instead of bringing the merit was only adding up the demerit of false show of charity to his father. The second boon that Nachiketha asks is also not for himself, but for the society,which again shows his compassion towards his fellow beings. Amma said, “When you totally forget yourself in your act of compassion, that is the death of your ego. Then you become a true disciple.”
Swamiji then went on to explain that the meaning behind Yama not being home when Nachiketha comes calling is that if one bravely goes looking for death, they’ll find that death is not there."
Om Amriteswariye namah!
Amma recounts the famous story of Nachiketa and death: (from: http://www.amritapuri.org/4805/death-hours.aum)
"The basic story of the Upanishad is that Nachiketha’s father is performing a sacrifice that requires him to give away all of his possessions. However, he is only giving away useless things – like old, sick and dry cows. Observing this improper action, Nachiketha, an intelligent boy, understands that his father is incurring sin instead of merit by such false charity. He pesters his father with the question, “To whom shall you give me?” To which his father replies at last, in anger, “I give you to death!” Being a good and obedient son, Nachiketha soon starts on his journey.
However, upon his arrival at the home of death, he finds that the Lord of Death -Yama – is not there. Naciketa waits for three days and nights without food or sleep. When Yama finally returns, he makes amends by offering Nachiketha three boons. Nachiketha’s first asks for appeasement of the anger of his father, then for the secret of attaining heaven and finally the ultimate question: “What happens after death? Is there a soul surviving death, or is it total annihilation?” After testing the quality of the disciple, Yama finally imparts the great teaching to him.
Sitting under the tree, Her children huddled around Her; Amma said that it was the compassionate heart of Nachiketha that made him a fit recipient of the ultimate knowledge. Amma said that when he challenged his father, he was doing so out of compassion. Nachiketha did not want his father to receive the negative karmic repercussions of giving things of no value in charity. In fact, a dried-up cow is only a burden for a poor man who receives it, as he has to feed the cow also in addition to his family.
Thus, the sacrifice, instead of bringing the merit was only adding up the demerit of false show of charity to his father. The second boon that Nachiketha asks is also not for himself, but for the society,which again shows his compassion towards his fellow beings. Amma said, “When you totally forget yourself in your act of compassion, that is the death of your ego. Then you become a true disciple.”
Swamiji then went on to explain that the meaning behind Yama not being home when Nachiketha comes calling is that if one bravely goes looking for death, they’ll find that death is not there."
Om Amriteswariye namah!
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